170 Attend PRI Reception in North Carolina

An important part of the evening was the appearance of Kyle Petty to receive a giant check for the Victory Junction Gang Camp from the proceeds of the Engine Charity Sweepstakes at the PRI Trade Show

For photos of the event, check out Editor John Kilroy's blog. Click here to view more photos.

Legendary race promoter Humpy Wheeler, famed oval track engine builder Keith Dorton, owners, presidents and vice presidents of racing companies, executives from the North Carolina Motorsports Association, six members of the PRI team and more racing industry professionals gathered at the Red Rocks Café in Huntersville, North Carolina, Wednesday night, May 25, for Performance Racing Industry’s North Carolina reception.

Over 170 racing industry business people attended PRI’s event for local racing business people and racing business people in town for the big race week between the NASCAR All-Star race and the Coca Cola 600.

“PRI naturally has a lot of racing industry friends in the Charlotte area, plus more that were in town for the big race week. The reception is a great way for us to see them. And they get to see each other. A lot of business was getting done throughout the room, in addition to all the fun,” said Judy Kean, sales manager for PRI, who organized the event. “We had a big success last year with this event, and it grew even bigger this year.”

Kean noted that racing businesses are always popping up in the 100-mile radius around Charlotte Motor Speedway, and PRI wishes to have this presence in the region so new companies learn about the PRI Trade Show and use it as a most convenient place to source new racing products and equipment.

“One of the things that was great about the reception, and our visit to North Carolina, is that we heard a lot of positive news about the state of the racing industry,” said John Kilroy, editor and vice president of PRI. “The reason the PRI Trade Show is growing this year is because the racing industry is getting stronger. And we’re all hoping for better weather so we can get more races in.”

Early in the evening, Kilroy stopped the festivities for an important moment when Kyle Petty was presented with a giant check for the Victory Junction Gang Camp from the proceeds of the Engine Charity Sweepstakes held at the PRI Trade Show. PRI and Sunnen Products Company organize the Sweepstakes, and Sunnen’s Bob Davis was on hand to pass the check for $23,000 to Petty.

In addition to tasty hot appetizers and free cold drinks, the PRI team introduced everyone to MingleSticks at the beginning of the reception. They are USB flash drive devices that serve as an electronic/digital business cards. Contact information is exchanged when the MingleSticks are simply pointed at each other while both people press the MingleStick button. The next day, reception attendees had an email waiting for them with directions on how to access contact information in a personal online file for all the connections they made at the reception.

“We did it for fun,” said Kilroy. “It was a terrific ice breaker for everyone. The MingleSticks are also a glimpse into the future. The traditional exchange of business cards will eventually go the way of electronic/digital technology.”

“We want to thank the Red Rocks Café team for the great food and service,” said Kean. “I think it’s the best restaurant around with a true racing clientele.”

Kean said PRI plans to organize the North Carolina reception again in 2012.